11 responses to “Tuesday, 2/28/12, Public Square”

Rick Santorum, a Catholic, attacks John F. Kennedy, our country’s first Catholic President, for championing the separation of Church and State. Meanwhile, he believes we should bomb Iran, a country whose governmental compass is guided by religious fanatics.

I was unsure how to vote today in the Wichita special election. You know what convinced me to vote YES? It was a four-color mailer I received yesterday, printed on heavy card stock, obviously very expensive and obviously from a Koch-supported organization of idiots. Yep, right on the front it said, “VOTE NO. It’s the Conservative Choice.” That made up my mind! I wonder if they would be happy to know their expensive mailer helped a voter decide?

Ah! And so now we are confronted with testing the US Constitution. These might be the very facts to undo the malice. Will someone take legal action to remedy this voter suppression: or will we progressives just complain about it? No, it is not easy!

I don’t do this very often, but I am going to post some of a FACEBOOK conversation here. This is important. From a thread about today’s special election in Wichita (I’ve used italics to differentiate comments by the two people conversing) —

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i don’t have any current state or school id. soc sec won’t change my name on my card without a state id, and i can’t get a state id till my name is changed on my soc sec acct. i have a change of name from divorce, and an expired ks dl with that name, had a passport, too, expired, paid my taxes in my new name since divorce. so unless they take my costco card, i may not be able to vote.

that is a horrendous predicament. Exactly the sort of Catch-22 that KKKobach is counting on.

and through this we found that all soc sec offices are open 9-3:30 m-f only, so screw you if you work 8-4 or 9-5 or only have sat off, or don’t have public transport or a friend with a car, or taxi fare..

Thirty years from now, a protestor stands alone on a corner. She is visibly pregnant. Her sign, written in blood red marker, says “I’m carrying my rapist’s baby! Thanks a lot, Jesus!” She has only been there for five minutes but has been called “slut” and “whore” by several passersby. One elderly woman stops long enough to tell her she deserved to be raped for not loving Jesus enough. Others look at her with sad eyes but quickly avert their gaze lest one of their neighbors notice.

Finally the police arrive to take the woman into custody. She has not spoken a word. She has no bullhorn. She has not accosted a single person on the street. Yet she is still arrested by men who barely contain their contempt for her. She has broken no laws that we would recognize but still, she is roughly handcuffed and placed in the back of a police cruiser. Of course, they take great care not to harm the baby she is carrying; the bruises she’ll have later won’t be anywhere near life-threatening. In this, she is lucky to be pregnant; others do not fare as well.

She is not read her rights because she has none. She is a blasphemer against the Lord and has been stripped of all legal protections. Her pregnancy will ensure that she survives long enough to perhaps repent and beg forgiveness. If not, she will be stoned to death in a public square by devout followers. Her child will be raised by the State to be a patriotic, loyal and, above all, God fearing citizen.

Welcome to the Theocratic States of America.

This may seem like a scenario out of a bad science fiction film but you would be wrong. This is what the world should be according to Christian Dominionism.

What is Christian Dominionism? It’s exactly what it sounds like: a world dominated by Christianity. Not just under the control of Christianity but completely and utterly dominated by it. According to Dominionists, every aspect of our lives is subject to the strictures of the Bible. Our personal lives and social lives must be lived in accordance with the word of God. Economics, politics, science, the arts and the law are all to be placed under the auspices of Christianity. It is, in essence, exactly what people claim Sharia law is. Minus Islam.

I read some blogs that are supporting the republican primary ‘process,’ as just perfect — even comparing it to the drawn out contest between Clinton and Obama leading up to the 2008 race.

They left out a couple of facts as they always do.

First, the contest between Clinton and Obama energized democratic voters and each caucus or primary contest saw greater numbers of people turning out to cast their vote. The republican participation is going down each time they open the polls. Even their own voters are turned off by these clowns.

Secondly, both Clinton and Obama were capable of beating their republican competition, John McCain. None of the four vying for the republican nomination will win in the general election against Obama. Romney (after campaigning for six years!) can’t beat Santorum; Santorum can’t beat Romney; Paul and Gingrich complicate things further and can’t beat anyone. Every time one of their candidates opens his mouth he turns moderate voters back to President Obama as the adult sane person in the contest.

I thoroughly enjoy your blog. I fear for the day we elect Rick Santorum or his likes. They are Taliban of America. We will become Afghanistan and live under Sharia Law, the only difference, our Sharia law will be derived from Bible not Koran.